Sudan has been in the news for the past several weeks due to the ongoing civil war in the country. However, that is not the only thing worth knowing about the country. The warring factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are locked in a tussle for several weeks. The country’s situation is highly unstable, and the world is following the developments closely.
Here are things that many in the world do not know about the currently conflict-riddled region and its history
1. Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt
It is a lesser-known fact in the history of the world. However, Sudan has more pyramids on its land than Egypt. In terms of ancient pyramids, Egypt gets all the credit. However, Sudan is home to over 200 pyramids. The ancient Nubian civilisation built the pyramids as early as 2500 BC.
2. It was once Africa’s largest country
Sudan once represented over 8% of the whole African continent. That’s 2% of the world’s total land area. It was Africa’s largest country and the tenth-largest globally during this time. When South Sudan separated from Sudan in 2011, Sudan became Africa’s third-largest country and the world’s 15th-largest.
3. It was home to the legendary kingdom of Kush
The Kingdom of Kush or Kush was an ancient African kingdom in what is now the Republic of Sudan. Three Kushite Kingdoms dominated the region for over 3,000 years.
4. Sudan fought Africa’s longest civil war
The Second Sudanese Civil War lasted 22 years. It began in 1983 and lasted until 2005, killing at least 1.5 million people and displacing over 4 million. The Experts consider the second civil war a continuation of the First Civil War, which started in 1955 and lasted till 1972. It originated in southern part of the country. It then spread to the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile. The central Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army were the conflicting factions in the war.
5. It’s part of the ambitious Great Green Wall Project
Sudan is part of the Great Green Wall Project. Other countries included Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. This incredibly ambitious initiative aims to build a 4970-mile (8,000 km) wall of trees across Africa to create the largest living structure on the planet. The wall of trees will stretch across the entire continent, along the arid Sahel savanna from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. The wall aims to symbolise hope in the face of one of the planet’s greatest threats — desertification.
